Too perfect to be real
by LittleMermade
Summary: Serah's life used to be perfect after she agreed to stay with her sister and friends, but there is always something that darkens her world. -Pardox Ending: Fate and Freedom; pairing at the beginning: Serah x Snow (will maybe change later)
1. 1: Doubts

**Author's Note:**

**This is a fanfiction based on the Paradox Ending: Fate and Freedom, where Serah decides to stay with her friends and sister, but forgets about Noel. This is how I think it possibly goes on.**

**Please just read this, if you have already played Final Fantasy XIII-2 to the end, it contains spoilers!**

**I don't own the characters, they belong to Square Enix. I just own parts of the plot.**

**Enjoy**

* * *

Chapter 1: Doubts

Some months had past since Serah woke up in her consummate world and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't be perfectly happy.

Lightning raced through the rooms of Hopes apartment, searching for her jacket: „Come on, Serah! Finish your tea, I'm going to be late for dinner at Sazh' and Dajh's place!"

The younger Farron-sister still sat by the table an took a sip of her still hot, fruit flavoured tea. She put the cup down instantly and coughed, when she realised, that it hadn't the right temperature to drink yet. As she found words again, she turned around to face her sister: „Sorry, Light! I'm not finished yet, even though… only you're invited for dinner, so I think I will stay, until I'm done with my cup… if it's okay for Hope." She turned tot he young man, who sat opposite her. Hope nodded slightly: „Of course."

Lightning hugged her for a moment: „Okay, bye guys!" Then she nearly ran out of the apartment. Serah gazed after her and turned directly back to Hope.

The silver-haired man surveyed the woman on the other side of his living room table: „You didn't talk much today, Serah… is everything alright?" Serah gave him a small smile: „Yes… just tired I think" Hope nodded again: „I see. How is Snow? -I haven't seen him in a while."

The woman took another sip from her cup and answered: „He's fine. Always helps the others, whenever there is a problem." Hope chuckled: „Sounds like him. And how about you?"

Serah didn't understand at first: „Me?" „Yeah… how are you doing?"

Serah smiled softly again: „Oh… well, I'm doing fine, too –I guess", she added.

Hope raised an eyebrow: „You guess?" Serah winked at the floor: „Don't worry… it's –it's ridicolous" Hope crossed his fingers on the table: „No, maybe it isn't! Just tell me, maybe I can help you out"

Serah hesitated then slowly started to explain: „There is a mirror in our room in the NORA-house. It's just an ordinary one… but somehow it scares me! Everytime I look at it, it's like my heart is gonna burst, I feel so weak, like all pain existing is hammering on me." Only to think o fit made Serah start panicing.

Hope rose from his seat and closed his arms around her carefully, he tried to comfort her, when he let his fingers glide through her pink locks: „It's alright, Serah. You're safe." The girl in his arms was shivering, her voice was tremulous and faint: „I feel that emptiness… like something importent is missing"

The young director pulled Serah a little closer to him: „You have to calm down first… do you want me to make you another cup of tea?" His voice was gentle and his arms were warm and consoling, so Serah slowly stopped shivering and nodded yes to some more tea. Hope let go of her and filled his water heater anew. He leaned against one of the counters and looked at Serah again: „Did you tell Snow… or Lighning?" Serah nodded and took a deap breath before she spoke: „They told me, I am just being silly."

„Maybe you should try again and tell them how serious it is terryfing you…", the man poured the boiling water in a glass jar und drowned a teabag in it. Immediatly the colour changed from transperent to bright red.

Serah chewed on her lower lip: „Maybe you're right… and I should bring it up again, but what if they are right and I'm just getting insane?" Hope looked at her doubtfully: „I think this is really bothering you. Do it for your own good." Serah nodded and with these words silence lay down like a veil above them.

After each of them had had another cup of tea, Hope's voice was way too loud in all that quietness: „Should I take you home?"

The petite woman blinked at Hope: „Sure… thank you!"

All the way to the NORA-house the two of them remained silent. Both deep in thoughts, dealing with their own problems and thinking the day over again. When Hope left her in front of the house she just stayed there for a while.

She didn't really want to face the gang now, she wasn't feeling very well. She looked at the stars one last time and with a sigh went inside the house. And as quiet as possible in her room. She was so tired, she didn't really think, just let herself fall on the bed and fell asleep.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I hope you liked the first chapter. I have holidays now, so I try to update very fast. Please review! Even if it's very short, if it's critic or commendation, I'm just interested, what you think of this!**


	2. 2: Confusion

Chapter 2: Confusion

„Baby? Dear, wake up", Serah heard a familiar voice- first it sounded distant, but as she slowly blinked the slumber away, she knew it was just beside her- HE was just beside her.

Snow's big hand was resting on her soft cheek. Now she fully opened her eyes and looked at the man she loved: „Where… what?" Serah yawned and slowly sat up- she was on the floor. Snow grinned: „The bed would be more comfortable. Don't you think so?"

Serah gave him a slight nod and took his outstretched hand to get up. She was feeling way better this morning, but still tired. Together with her husband she went to the kitchen and started preparing brakefast, like every morning.

When they finally sat by the table Serah decided on bringing the mirror-thing up again. Hesitantly she started to speak: „Snow…" The blond man put his newspaper down and looked at his girl: „Yes?"

„Do you remember the day I told you about the mirror? It's…"

Snow interrupted instantly: „Oh Serah, I told you it's okay! Remember? We even went there together and discovered, there was nothing special about it."

„I know… but I'm still so scared of it."

„Listen… I want you to be happy. So tell me what to do, to see you smile again"

He was always so caring and responsibly. He had never been this way. He always had been wild and unconrollable, but somehow she loved that about him.

„Can you take it from the wall for me?" Maybe she would stop worrying, when it was gone, maybe she could be happy then.

„Of course! I will do it right after brakefast"

Snow leaned over to kiss Serah gently. She leaned in the kiss and smiled at him: „Thank you. I will help"

After breakfast Snow and Serah went back to their room, armed with a screwdriver. Snow started to unscrew the top of the mirror, but before he could completely unfix it, he felt something like a surge coursing through his body. He let go of the mirror immediately and staggered back a few steps.

Serah ran to his side and propped him up: „Snow? You alright?" Her voice was full of concern.

The tall man nodded: „Don't worry… must have contacted with an electric cable…"

Snow headed to the mirror again and put the tip of the screwdriver on a screw on the left side of the mirror. That screw didn't move an inch, no matter how hard he tried. Annoyed he sighed: „Honey? Can you hold the speculum? Maybe it will work then."

Serah hesitated, but went tot he mirror as he told her and placed her hand on the right side of it. Right away she felt coldness creep into her veins. Nervously her eyes darted around. When they met her reflection in the looking glass, she saw just darkness.

When she woke up a moment later, she wasn't in the NORA-house anymore. She stood in the middle of a forest. The trees were of all heights and easy to climb on. Wherever she looked was green and strange plants were growing. Several waterfalls seemed to fall from the treetops to nothingness. Carefully Serah glanced down a cliff.

A few flans circeled at a deeper level of the forest. –This must be Sunleth-Waterscape– Serah thought. She has read about this place before, but never saw it with her own eyes yet. How did she get here? And where was Snow?

First of all she had to find other people, maybe they could explaine her what happened. The rose-blond girl began walking away from the cliff, deeper into the forest.

Another group of tiny flans crossed her way, but they didn't seem to remark her. They continued their trip in the direction she came from. Strange… she was just a few feet apart from them and they didn't even looked at her. She didn't think, they got a glance at human beings everyday.

Serah stopped to follow them with her eyes, but no reaction. Bewildered she contiued her way until two silhouettes appeared on the horizon. These were no monsters… they actually looked human.

Serah started running toward them, with every step they looked more human to her. She got closer, but when she saw their faced, she stopped abruptly. Her skin went pale: That can't be! The girl looked exactly like her, she even wore a dress similar to hers.

Serah stared at the two people, one of them was a girl, exactly as tall as her with the exactly same haircolour and hairstyle. She had the same voice as her.

The other was a man, a little taller than her. His brown hair was messy. His clothes were blue and looked not like something anyone at her home would wear.

With the two humans was a flying, cute, little… something. It looked like a moogle, these creatures, that appear in children's bedtimestories. These creatures were just part of a fairytale, but right there in front of her seemed to be one.

„…there must be a way to stop them", the young man said. In that moment the girl covered her face with her hands and collapsed to her knees. Instantly the man turned his attention to her: „What is it? What's wrong?" He looked worried.

The moogle was in rage too, it flew in circles over their heads and started to say ‚kupo' all over again.

As the girl collapsed, the man cought her and held her carefully in his arms. The girl started to murmur something about the fall of Cocoon. Her voice was silent, so Serah couldn't understand all of it.

The man whispered something to himself and then gently shook her: „Serah? Serah!"

Serah froze. Did he just say her name? What was going on here? She went closer to the people: „Who are you? What does all of this mean?"

But none of them looked at her, none gave her an answer.

There was a light in the girl's eyes and she jumped to her feet: „No!" She started to run away. The man stood there, confused: „Wait! Serah? What's wrong? …. What did she see?" The man now started to run after her.

Serah started to move again either: „Wait! Don't just run away!" She tried to grap the man's hand, but her hand just went through his. She stared down at the hands and continued running afterwards. She tried to touch the man again, but she couldn't, it never worked.

Exhausted from trying Serah stopped and her vision went black again…

* * *

**Author's Note: Finally I forced myself to go on and update this one! I'm just a sluggard :D**

**I don't own this, it still belongs to Square Enix (unfortunaltely xD)**

**I'm sorry for the mistakes in this and the elementary English, I hope it's nevertheless okay writing!**

**I would love all kind of review, even if you wanna criticize the whole thing! Thank's for giving it a try ;) I hope I will update soon!**


	3. 3: A special spot

Chapter 3: A special spot

Serah slowly opened her eyes, feeling dizzy and confused, a big hand gently caressing her cheek. With one hand she rubbed her forehead and sat up: „What… where am I?"

Snow smiled slightly: „Are you alright? You just collapsed…" She blinked and then directly looked at his face. She saw worry, however not that much she saw in the young man's face. The man from her… dream. Yes, dream. That's how she might call it. What else should it have been?

Maybe she was just a little ill: „Snow… I… yes, I'm alright. You know what, just leave the mirror there. I don't mind" Snow pulled her into a close embrace: „That's my girl! Want some coffee now?" Serah nodded briefly and took Snow's hand to get on her feet.

She stared at her cup of coffee in the kitchen. It was a small cup, beautiful though. It was one of these with a lot ornamentation, coloured creme to bright orange and delicate pink. It remembered her of the sunset.

Oh, how she loved watching the sun set at the beach. When she thought about it, she realized that there hasn't be a single rainy day, since she came back to New Bodhum.

Sighing Serah turned her head into Snow's direction: „Snow... did you see Lightning today?" Snow nodded and put his cup down: „Sure. She has left before you woke. Don't know where she went." Serah took another sip of her coffee and then answered: „I'm sure, she will be back soon, she doesn't like long trips…"

Snow just nodded and then stand up from his chair: „I have to leave you for some hours now, darling… I'm helping Gadot and Maqui rebuilding a bridge."

Serah stood up, too: „Shall I come with you?"

Snow shook his head: „No, no! It's not a big deal, I promise. Just stay here, Serah"

One moment she thought of protest, but Snow wouldn't lie to her, he would be back, in the evening. So she walked over to him and mildly kissed him: „I will wait for you with dinner."

When Snow was gone, Serah grapped a book and sat herself down under a tree. The sun and the heat made her sleepy and soon she dreamed away.

When she woke again, the clouds were covered in lavender and salmon. Serah yawned and rose sluggishly. She walked closer tot he ocean, attracted by the sound oft he waves. It was so beautiful, so untouchable. For her the sunset was breathtaking. It was getting dark, after the last faint rays of the sun touched the sea.

Torn from the moment Serah quickly paced back to the house. It was already after eight, Snow had to be back already. He had left about ten hours ago.

But when Serah stormed into the house, it was all dark and still. Snow, Gadot and Maqui still weren't there, Lightning was still out too. Lebreau and Yuj traveled to Archylte Steppe a few months ago. The very first time since her journey Serah was alone.

She gritted her teeth together and slumped against the wall. Her journey… She couldn't remember most of that. She just knew, that she visited a lot of places and she learned how to fight monsters. But she couldn't remember a single person she met, a single conversation or any detail.

Snow told her, she had been so tired, maybe she forgot about those things. Because she couldn't explain it to herself any different she just believed in Snow's words.

Serah decided to get some more air, she swiftly got up and grapped her jacket. It was already night, so she was afraid of catching a cold.

She strolled along the beach away from New Bodhum. She climbed over the fence, which was there to keep monsters away from the people, but there were just a few small ones. Snow started a project so a few weeks ago an even bigger one has been built farther away. Now the area where anyone could be safe was a lot bigger. Finally people were able to see uncharted parts of the region.

Serah although had been there before, it was the day she started her journey. She couldn't remember how it started, but it had been a short walk from New Bodhum. Something unbelievable had happened.

Without really knowing where she wandered or why she did it, she continued walking with her head bowed like in a prayer. It was getting cold, so Serah was glad, she had her jacket with her. The further she left New Bodhum behind the cloudier the sky seemed to be. Or was it the nearer she got to… something?

Like in a trance she kept on going and suddenly stopped at a small cliff, a few feet away from the sea.

There was a crater in the earth, like a big hole. Nothing was inside, just the hole in the ground. Carefully Serah climed down in the dirt and looked around. She felt like she was in the middle of nowhere. Bewildered she stepped in the middle of the pit. What did cause that thing?

Unexpectedly a voice appeared in Serah's head. It was the voice of the young man from her dream.

* * *

_It's like a portal. Lighning is in a place called Valhalla. She's waiting on the other side._

* * *

In shock Serah staggered back. What was happening to her? Lightning was just at work or elsewhere, but not in whatever place Valhalla should be!

An image flashed before her eyes. It was that girl… maybe her and that boy. They were holding up a shiny thing. And then began ascending and they vanished.

It felt kind of real to Serah, so true, so familiar…

She had to get away from there. She started running and climbed, more stumbled out of the crater. Serah cut her knees, but stood up right away and ran faster and faster. But the voices didn't stop.

* * *

_What is that? An arm?!_

_Look out!_

_Yeah, and not looking to shake hands, I'm guessing…_

_Noel!_

* * *

Serah started crying by her own voice screaming a name, Noel.

She fell over and landed hard on the ground again, but she didn't care, she just wanted to get away, as quickly as possible. Instantly she stood up again and ran, gasping for air.

And then something happend: She felt a cold drop of water touching her forehead, and then another and another. It rained! And Serah couldn't stop crying.

When she reached the first border she was exhausted and collapsed into the sand. Struggling for air, the rain drenched her hair and clothes.

Serah whipped her tears away with her palm and dragged herself back to the house. Lightning struck at the beach directly in front of her and a moment later a deafening thunder rang out.

Serah closed the door behind her, she was scared! A soft voice tried to comfort her: „Serah? What is wrong?" Serah looked up and in front of her was her sister.

Lightning held out a towel and on her lips… that narrow smile, the same as Snow, as Yuj and everyone else…

* * *

**Author's note: **

**Hey guys! Thank's for reading this, maybe leave a short review. Only takes a few secs and it means the world to me! :)**


End file.
